Original: [MML] Searching for the light without knowing it
Title: Searching for the light without knowing it
31 Days Theme: October 7th/A Light Called You
Series: Original
Characters: Audrey, Chandra, Dane
Rating: G
Notes: This written for the 31_days theme. Word count: 1028. I haven't done MML for ages. I miss it, in a frustrated sort of way. ^^
"We need to take a break. Regroup. Get some jackets." Audrey folded her arms tightly in front of her. The cold set in surprisingly fast after sunset.
Chandra tried to rub the goosebumps away. "If we're cold, how cold do you think she feels? She's just a little girl and I'm supposed to be taking care of her. I just- We just- we have to find her or no one else will. It's dark now, and frightening, and-"
"And there are evil little children hiding in the shadows, waiting for their next target."
"Yes, exactly-"
"No." Refusing to lose precious body heat by raising her hand, Audrey instead inclined her head in the direction of a park bench. Two children were playing on it as if it were daytime, their jackets the only sign that even they couldn't pretend the night air was warm. Yet even as they giggled and shrieked, they watched Audrey and Chandra out of the corner of their eyes. "There. Are. Evil. Little. Children. Waiting."
"Oh, not now, please not now." Chandra let her blond hair fall into her face, obscuring the children from her sight. "It's bad enough Lenora's missing, now we have to deal with them?"
Audrey firmly fixed her gaze past the children. "It's only two of them. Just don't look them in the eye. They shouldn't give us trouble."
They didn't, even when Audrey and Chandra crossed right in front of them with a carefree air. As soon as they passed, however, Chandra quickened her pace. Audrey followed suit. Being older and more importantly, bigger, they could easily handle two kids, but it was still risk they preferred not to take.
Chandra sighed and murmured, "I miss the times when we had parents who cared."
"I don't."
Chandra glanced at her friend. "But you want to break the spell, don't you?"
"I want to break it because it's right to. It's not because I want to."
"'Want'? Don't you 'want' to bring back Dane?"
Audrey didn't answer. Chandra continued, "I know you say you hate him, but you can't write him off that easily. Right...?" Chandra shook her head to clear the hair from her face and touched a hand to Audrey's shoulder. It was rigid. "Audrey?"
Audrey's hazel eyes looked dark in the moonlight. They were still fixed into the distance, as if she could not tear her gaze away. "What... what's that?" whispered Audrey.
Something in her voice made Chandra turn to look, her heart strangely starting to thud in her chest. Barely, barely, she could see a small figure at the edge of the shortcut to the school. The kids called it Woods but it was really just a dirt path crowded with tall trees. There were houses on either side, stout and ordinary, plainly visible from the path.
"It's glowing." Chandra replied. It was, almost. Though the figure was in the shadow of a tree, it seemed to repel the darkness from it, like a raincoat repelled water instead of absorbed it.
Chandra seized Audrey's upper arm and squeezed. "I think it's moving, Audrey. Audrey...?"
"Hmm?"
Before Chandra could repeat herself, someone pushed her towards the ground and pinned her there. She struggled to get up again, but the combination of two tiny bodies straddling her was too heavy to throw off.
Two other kids tackled Audrey down beside her. Audrey blinked up at them while they looked down on her, their lips smiling, their eyes hypnotic...
"Don't look at them!" Chandra warned, almost too late.
Audrey shut her eyes in reflex. "Four? There are four of you now?!"
"Five." said an older voice. Chandra snapped her head to the other side, careful to keep her eyes low. All she saw was his flared jeans and expensive sneakers that she knew very well.
Audrey was not so cautious. She fiercely met his eyes, eyes which matched her own. "Figures you'd trick us like that. They don't call you Dirty Dane for nothing."
Dane straightened his legs from its relaxed stance. "Figures you fell for it, ate [1]. Mama always said I was smarter."
Audrey tried to lunge up at him, almost toppling the two children sitting on her back. Dane laughed, but Chandra could sense it was forced.
"That's because you brainwashed her." Audrey said finally, her teeth gritted as she spoke.
"Aww, come on, ate. We both know she's better this way. Just like I know," he knelt and put a hand on Chandra who looked up automatically. Their eyes locked, and the hues inevitably snaked out towards her, all swirl and enchantment. "That you'll be better this way."
"Chandra, close your eyes. Chandra!" When Chandra did not, Audrey switched tactics. "Leave her alone, Dane, just leave her out of our business. Or are you as dirty as they say?"
But Dane did not react. He was surprised, much too surprised because the hues - they did not mesmerize Chandra. She too was surprised; more than that, she was shocked.
You... is it you... He didn't say it aloud, but Chandra could hear it nonetheless. She merely shook her head uncomprehendingly.
Then, there was light. It brightened as it drew closer with startling speed. The kids shielded their faces and threw themselves off Chandra and Audrey and into the darkness of the park as if running from an explosion.
Dane had a different reaction. Though he seemed blinded by the soft glow, he tried to look into it, at the source, but it seemed the more he tried, the more he had to squint.
Chandra herself had no difficulty. She gasped when she saw what it was- who it was...
Leave. It said to Dane. Obediently, Dane left, his sneakers slapping on the pavement as he ran.
When he was gone, the glow softened but did not dissipate. Chandra didn't care. She sprung up and flung her arms around the lit form. "Lenora, oh my Lenora, what's happened to you? Where did you go?"
Lenora's expression was void of its usual child-like gaiety. It was oddly adult. "To him." And then it too softened, as her glow had. She giggled and smiled up at Chandra. "To him."
--
Notes:
[1] ate - Term for "older sister". Pronounced AH-teh.
This snippet can be related to this short story.
There's also a short Dane sketch over here.
Thanks for reading (or not ;).
31 Days Theme: October 7th/A Light Called You
Series: Original
Characters: Audrey, Chandra, Dane
Rating: G
Notes: This written for the 31_days theme. Word count: 1028. I haven't done MML for ages. I miss it, in a frustrated sort of way. ^^
"We need to take a break. Regroup. Get some jackets." Audrey folded her arms tightly in front of her. The cold set in surprisingly fast after sunset.
Chandra tried to rub the goosebumps away. "If we're cold, how cold do you think she feels? She's just a little girl and I'm supposed to be taking care of her. I just- We just- we have to find her or no one else will. It's dark now, and frightening, and-"
"And there are evil little children hiding in the shadows, waiting for their next target."
"Yes, exactly-"
"No." Refusing to lose precious body heat by raising her hand, Audrey instead inclined her head in the direction of a park bench. Two children were playing on it as if it were daytime, their jackets the only sign that even they couldn't pretend the night air was warm. Yet even as they giggled and shrieked, they watched Audrey and Chandra out of the corner of their eyes. "There. Are. Evil. Little. Children. Waiting."
"Oh, not now, please not now." Chandra let her blond hair fall into her face, obscuring the children from her sight. "It's bad enough Lenora's missing, now we have to deal with them?"
Audrey firmly fixed her gaze past the children. "It's only two of them. Just don't look them in the eye. They shouldn't give us trouble."
They didn't, even when Audrey and Chandra crossed right in front of them with a carefree air. As soon as they passed, however, Chandra quickened her pace. Audrey followed suit. Being older and more importantly, bigger, they could easily handle two kids, but it was still risk they preferred not to take.
Chandra sighed and murmured, "I miss the times when we had parents who cared."
"I don't."
Chandra glanced at her friend. "But you want to break the spell, don't you?"
"I want to break it because it's right to. It's not because I want to."
"'Want'? Don't you 'want' to bring back Dane?"
Audrey didn't answer. Chandra continued, "I know you say you hate him, but you can't write him off that easily. Right...?" Chandra shook her head to clear the hair from her face and touched a hand to Audrey's shoulder. It was rigid. "Audrey?"
Audrey's hazel eyes looked dark in the moonlight. They were still fixed into the distance, as if she could not tear her gaze away. "What... what's that?" whispered Audrey.
Something in her voice made Chandra turn to look, her heart strangely starting to thud in her chest. Barely, barely, she could see a small figure at the edge of the shortcut to the school. The kids called it Woods but it was really just a dirt path crowded with tall trees. There were houses on either side, stout and ordinary, plainly visible from the path.
"It's glowing." Chandra replied. It was, almost. Though the figure was in the shadow of a tree, it seemed to repel the darkness from it, like a raincoat repelled water instead of absorbed it.
Chandra seized Audrey's upper arm and squeezed. "I think it's moving, Audrey. Audrey...?"
"Hmm?"
Before Chandra could repeat herself, someone pushed her towards the ground and pinned her there. She struggled to get up again, but the combination of two tiny bodies straddling her was too heavy to throw off.
Two other kids tackled Audrey down beside her. Audrey blinked up at them while they looked down on her, their lips smiling, their eyes hypnotic...
"Don't look at them!" Chandra warned, almost too late.
Audrey shut her eyes in reflex. "Four? There are four of you now?!"
"Five." said an older voice. Chandra snapped her head to the other side, careful to keep her eyes low. All she saw was his flared jeans and expensive sneakers that she knew very well.
Audrey was not so cautious. She fiercely met his eyes, eyes which matched her own. "Figures you'd trick us like that. They don't call you Dirty Dane for nothing."
Dane straightened his legs from its relaxed stance. "Figures you fell for it, ate [1]. Mama always said I was smarter."
Audrey tried to lunge up at him, almost toppling the two children sitting on her back. Dane laughed, but Chandra could sense it was forced.
"That's because you brainwashed her." Audrey said finally, her teeth gritted as she spoke.
"Aww, come on, ate. We both know she's better this way. Just like I know," he knelt and put a hand on Chandra who looked up automatically. Their eyes locked, and the hues inevitably snaked out towards her, all swirl and enchantment. "That you'll be better this way."
"Chandra, close your eyes. Chandra!" When Chandra did not, Audrey switched tactics. "Leave her alone, Dane, just leave her out of our business. Or are you as dirty as they say?"
But Dane did not react. He was surprised, much too surprised because the hues - they did not mesmerize Chandra. She too was surprised; more than that, she was shocked.
You... is it you... He didn't say it aloud, but Chandra could hear it nonetheless. She merely shook her head uncomprehendingly.
Then, there was light. It brightened as it drew closer with startling speed. The kids shielded their faces and threw themselves off Chandra and Audrey and into the darkness of the park as if running from an explosion.
Dane had a different reaction. Though he seemed blinded by the soft glow, he tried to look into it, at the source, but it seemed the more he tried, the more he had to squint.
Chandra herself had no difficulty. She gasped when she saw what it was- who it was...
Leave. It said to Dane. Obediently, Dane left, his sneakers slapping on the pavement as he ran.
When he was gone, the glow softened but did not dissipate. Chandra didn't care. She sprung up and flung her arms around the lit form. "Lenora, oh my Lenora, what's happened to you? Where did you go?"
Lenora's expression was void of its usual child-like gaiety. It was oddly adult. "To him." And then it too softened, as her glow had. She giggled and smiled up at Chandra. "To him."
--
Notes:
[1] ate - Term for "older sister". Pronounced AH-teh.
This snippet can be related to this short story.
There's also a short Dane sketch over here.
Thanks for reading (or not ;).